Today I nabbed what I think is a Kleinia stapeliiformis (pickle plant). Can anyone confirm? Any special things to consider?

It is!
Pickle Plant (Kleinia stapeliiformis)
It is an easy plant to grow, it (from the roots) creeps underground and pops up new growth somewhere else in the pot. Pieces root quickly.

For the fun of it - planted (?) into a Haworthia pot

From the top down

Closer

And by itself. A bit wet this morning, it poured buckets.

Does yours bloom much?

No, it does not. I think I have seen blooms once!

I tried to explain how they spread underground - better to say "spread by underground Rhizomes! "

https://www.gardenia.net/plant...

You have pickles I have cucumbers
Cucumber Cactus (Cissus cactiformis)

What is the difference between Cissus cactiformis and Cissus quadrangularis?

Just looked up C. quadrangularis. They look exactly the same?!?! My friend gave me a cutting and said it was a cucumber cactus and C. cactiformis was the first one that popped up when looking for names…

I would have called it Cissus quadrangularis!

Veldt Grape (Cissus quadrangularis)

Hmm?

Here is a link sort of comparing the two species

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclop...

Cissus cactiformis is similar to Cissus quadrangularis (a smaller plant) and often put in synonymy under this species, however the two are quite distinct in the field, but it seems possible that spontaneous hybrids can be encountered in S Africa. This two species are very interesting and especially so in view of the resemblance to a species of succulent geranium, Pelargonium tetragonum.

There is no way I could differentiate between the species by just looking at it!!
Call me stumped!
I should mention I am growing this plant for probably 30 years or so.

Apparently both use the common name 'Veldt Grape' as well. I wonder if, in time, they will be combined as the same and one name or the other assigned as a synonym and possibly designated as a ssp. I grow one given to me as C. quadrangularis, but I can't see any difference in the photos. It's been an odd plant to manage for me.

Even vendors are stumped. I've seen same plant, at least to me, selling under both names. I did see a different leaf in one of our db pics, but then others are the same in both.

Went out and took a photo of what I'm growing as Cissus quadrangularis. It was slow to show any active growth this year after being moved outside. It does like the warmer temperatures better than than the lingering cool spring we had. It also got pounded by hail. Anything growing outside the cage wires had lots of broken and damaged growth. It really didn't have any new active growth until mid-June, but it's happier than many plants with the current excessive heat and actively growing.

Yes, it definitely seems to be a hot weather plant!
I quit growing this one as a large plant by itself, but have pieces growing in several places. By the time my plants come inside, this one is usually growing all over the place, trying to climb.

I know I've said this before, but I do love the cage thing you have going on there Donald. That setup seems to work very well for the plant (at least the parts inside).

My sole fascination with the titular Kleinia of this thread is its reddish flowers, and I wouldn't mind having one and seeing it bloom just to get in some careful macro shots.



It does not seem very common around here for whatever reason, though.

I haven't seen the Kleinia offered around here either. I think it's likely it would come home with me. I like the looks of what UrbanWild and Ursula show in the photos and I like the sound of how it spreads.

The cage does work for that plant. It would be sprawling like a crazy thing if it weren't in jail. The parts poking out of the bars do okay generally and after they grow long enough they get the growth point guided back inside. Hail is unwelcome anytime for any plant. It's just a curious and odd plant in its growth habits.

Ursula said: .. ...

@Ursula , the plants look short, did you prune this kleinia?
I started to get rid of those as they like to grow too long and fall over, I prefer Kleinia pendula (inch worm) , much easier to maintian, and they look creepier.
And another close relatives, senecio saginata, my senecio saginata got root rot, tried to re root it but it's not happening.

These 3 plants also not very common also here, but with some patience, we still can find them.


Kleinia pendula


Dying senecio saginata

Those blooms are not limited to the species under discussion.

Baja, I'm sure you would get a much better pic than this.

I don't know how easy any of the Kleinia/Curio/Senecio are to find in a store. I got the fulgens for postage from a member here about a decade ago. Now I have about a dozen in various pots. It makes tubers and a couple times, they have survived winter in the ground and started growing again in the spring. I often use non-hardy plants in the ground "as annuals" and trim off the best looking parts in the fall to bring inside for winter and start over again with cuttings. C/S plants are great for that because they usually don't mind if it doesn't rain for a few weeks.

TJOE, no, I never pruned my K. stapeliiformis. For some reason the growth in this pot stayed shorter than those in the Haworthia pot.

I agree with Tiffany, Kleinia fulgens (and galpinii) are much easier to bloom, at least for me. And they are very showy, usually in late Summer into Fall around here.

How much direct sunlight can the pickle plant take?